Primary School

The Primary School is located at the Swire European Primary Campus on WenLin Road. Students from all three sections share the modern buildings with many specialised classrooms, a large library, cafeteria, schoolyard, playgrounds and sports grounds.

The German Kindergarten is situated next to the Primary School on the Swire European Primary Campus. Being on the same campus allows our students to experience a smooth transition from Kindergarten to Primary School. In Primary School the students are instructed in four forms (“Klassen”).

Curriculum

The Primary School operates according to the framework curriculum for German Overseas Schools in the regions of East Asia, South Asia and Australia. This is based on the curriculum of the Federal State of Thuringia (Thüringen) and has been approved by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the German Länder.

This ensures that children can change to other Primary or Secondary Schools either within the region or in Germany, Austria or Switzerland without facing any particular problems.

Form levels (“Klassen”)

Flex 0

Children who have reached the age of five attend the Flexible School Entrance Stage “Flex 0” of the Primary School. During the first year of the Flexible School Entrance Stage, “Flex 0”, the children pass through a nursery school programme that consists of one daily lesson. As well as this, the children meet students from the first two school years, the “Flex 1/2”, for five hours every week. Here the children receive the best possible preschool support in a combination with playful activities. Through regular participation in the Flex 1/2 lessons, they also become familiar with the routines, rules and rituals of the Primary School. This ensures that the children experience a smooth transition when they move on to Primary School later on.

Flex 1/2

Instruction in Flex 1/2 is carried out in classes that encompass students from both year groups; this usually applies to the first two school years. Especially when the students sit together to tell each other stories during the regular reading and writing periods or in the class council, they benefit from being in mixed classes. Nevertheless, we consider it useful to teach mathematics and German in partially separate groups at different levels. In their role as “explorers”, our students develop basic competencies in mathematics and German, while the “experts” acquire the advanced skills of the School Entrance Stage.

Klasse 3 and Klasse 4

Elements of teaching students from different classes together can be found in all Klassen of Primary School. During the third and fourth school year, however, students generally receive instruction in classes of the form to which they belong.

Due to the small learning groups and classes, we are fully aware of the personality of our students so that we can provide them with suitable learning content at the time when they need it. The school uses periods in which the children work on their own initiative, project-oriented teaching and completing the tasks of the weekly programme in order to encourage and support the children on an individual basis. This develops their capability to work on their own initiative, to work independently, assume responsibility and develop their own creativity. We also have a particularly strong commitment towards developing the children's social skills, their team spirit and their ability to cooperate with others.

Language instruction

In this way, Primary School students learn German at native-speaker level and English as a second language at a very advanced level, which is considerably higher than that of comparable groups in Germany. Moreover, they also learn Chinese, depending on the children’s individual language background.

GermanThe language of school instruction is German.

EnglishEnglish is taught as the first foreign language beginning with Flex 1/2 with four lessons a week in two to three levels.

Chinese/MandarinChinese/Mandarin is taught in five lessons a week beginning with Flex 1/2. Here students from all sections meet to be taught together in the same class.

Compulsory Elective Subjects

In the curriculum of the Primary School, students and parents can register for two compulsory elective subjects during the school week. These elective subjects foster the children’s individual inclinations and interests in small learning groups.